The Peppermint Wars
by justanoutlaw
Summary: Regina dashes down the liquor aisle on Christmas Eve, only to find someone that needs the last bottle of vodka as much as she does.


Regina really should've known better than to go shopping on Christmas Eve, especially at the grocery store. It was a madhouse, everyone pushing past one another to get their hands on turkey or ham. There were dented cans of vegetables falling off the shelves and stuffing coming out of the bags that were torn by anxious housewives. Children in heavy parkas were screaming and crying, too overstimulated by all the noise while their parents were clearly already counting down the days until they went back to school.

Luckily for her, Regina just needed one item: peppermint vodka. She had gone shopping a week prior to get everything and had somehow forgotten the key ingredient in her Peppermint Hot Chocolate De Lujo. She had remembered the Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, milk and vanilla…while forgetting completely about the alcohol. Dear, sweet Henry had just said that everyone could just have it his way-virgin. He was too young to realize that Mommy and Auntie Zelena depended on the last ingredient to get through the holiday with their mother.

She turned down the liquor aisle and started scanning the shelves. Most of the things to make delicious holiday cocktails were gone and she worried that she wouldn't find what she needed, until she spotted it. The last bottle of Smirnoff. She reached for it and was about to grab it, when another hand touched it. She looked up and found a man standing there, blonde hair, blue eyes and a very full cart.

"Sorry, but I got here first."

"Um, actually, that'd be me," he replied, his British accent slipping out.

"I don't think so. I didn't even see you when I came down the aisle."

"Well, to be fair, you were looking at your phone."

"Aha," Regina raised an eyebrow, her hand not leaving the bottle. "So, you concede I got here first."

The man rolled his eyes. "My best friend is going to kill me if I don't show up with the key ingredient for his peppermint white Russians."

Regina wrinkled her nose. "First of all, sounds gross. Second, I need it for my special hot chocolate."

"Have it without vodka."

"Hot chocolate sans alcohol while having dinner with my mother, that's not wise."

A smile tugged on his lips. Regina hated the fact that she thought it was cute. "Well, it seems we're both in a bit of a pickle. Whatever will we do?"

"You could be chivalrous and let me have it."

"Aye, but again, my best friend will kill me."

"I may kill myself if I have to stay sober through a holiday meal."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "How much do you need for yours?"

"Three ounces."

"I need two for mine. According to the bottle, there's…" He scanned the label. "1.75 liters of vodka in here. We could split the cost and the bottle."

Regina considered it for a minute. "How would we divvy it up?"

"I've got spare water bottles in my truck."

"You're really desperate for this vodka, aren't you?"

"It's fair to say that so are you."

Regina smiled. "Alright, you've got yourself a deal." She held out her hand and he shook it, grinning just as wide.

"I'm Robin, by the way."

"Regina."

The two went to the checkout lanes and got in the shortest one. Regina helped him load up his groceries and bagged them up, before they walked out to his truck. She gave him money for her half and as promised, he began to pour out his share into a separate bottle.

"This is the craziest thing I've ever done," Regina mused.

"It'll make a good story to tell around the Christmas dinner table."

"That's very true."

Robin capped the water bottle and handed the glass one over to her. "There you go, milady."

"Thank you." She stood there awkwardly for a moment, before seeing some flurries fly onto her black peacoat. "Guess I better get back home."

"You um, you doing anything New Year's Eve?" Robin asked.

Regina shook her head. "My ex has my son. Why?"

"What a coincidence, my ex has my son as well. We could meet up, have some dinner."

"Are you asking a stranger out on a date?"

"We just shared a bottle of vodka, I'd hardly call us strangers."

Regina laughed, she couldn't believe she was actually considering it. "Well…why not? I'm doing all sorts of things today that I never thought I would."

"Great." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card which read "Locksley Plumbing". "Cell's on the back, give me a call."

"I definitely will."


End file.
